Auto-wheel.



A. L. BLALOGK.

AUTO WHEEL.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 22, 1909.

969,593. Patented sept.6,1 91o.

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A. L. BLALOGK. 'AUTO WHEEL.

Patented sept. 6,1910,

Patented sept.6,1910.

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ALONZO. L. BLALOCK, 0F MADISON, FLORIDA.

x AUTO-WHEEL,

Specification of Letters Patent.

, Patented sept. 6. 1910.

Application led May 2'2, 1909. y Serial No. 497,702.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALoNzo L'. BLALOCK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Madison,- in the county of Madison and State of Florida,have'invented a new and useful Auto-Wheel, of which the following is aspecification. i

It is the object of the present invention to impi'ovegenerally theConstruction of running gear for automobiles and similar vcliicles.

A further object of the invention is to provide a construction ofrunning gear for automobiles or similar vehicles which construction willobviate the employment of differential gearing in thevrunning gear ofvehicles of this class.

Another object of the invention is to provide a running gear forautomobiles or thelike embodying a traction element such as atiactioiiwlieel which, While it supports the rear portion of thevehicle, Will permit of yield of this portion of the vehicle due tovuneven roads and the like, and will at the same time remain atall`times inengagement with the road surface regardless of itscharacter.

In other words, it is one object of the vinvention to provide a runninggear for automobiles or similar vehicles in which the traction memberwill remain at all times in engagement with lthe surface of the roadwhether the said surface be even or uneven. Broadly speaking, theinvention resides in the provision, in a vehicle, of a traction framewhich is so. mounted within the vehicle as to have a normal tendency.toward movement to operative position, (that is to bring atractionelement within the frame into engagement with the road surface)-and means whereby the frame may be moved, at the will of the operator ofthe' machine, to inoperative position.

In the accompanying drawings, .Figure l is a side elevation, with partsbroken away, of the chassis of an automobile showing the applicationof'itheinvention thereto.l

Fig. 2 is a similar View but showing'the traction frame in operativeposition, and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a ortion of the chassisand also a portion of the traction frame. Fig. 4 is a viewsimilar toFig. ibut showing a slight modification of the invention.

in the drawings, there is shown an alitomehile chassis e which the sidebeams are be described.

the ordinary construction and supporting. the usual springs 6 carryingthe axle bearings 7 1n which the axles are mounted, the

front axle being indicated by the numeral The springs for supporting theforward end of the traction frame are indicated by the numeral 14 andare illustrated as in the nature'of bowed leaf springs secured 'each atone end to one beam 5 ofl thechassis and bowed forwardly -with theirlower ends extending rearwardly and provided with a barrel 15 whichreceives a studpor similar clement 16 upon the corresponding side beam12 of the traction frame, these springs 14 being so bowed and arranged.as to yieldably support the forward end ofthe traction frame from thechassis without exerting an abnormal degree of downwardv pressurethereon. The rear end of the traction frame is supported by similarsprings which are indicated by the numeral 5, they being of indicated bythe numeral 17 and which are secured, as in the case of the springs 14,at their upper ends to the side beams 5 of the chassis of the vehicleand at their lower ends are provided each with a barrel 18 whichreceives a stud or similar element 19 carried by the respective sidebeam 12 of the traction frame. These springs 17, however, unlike thesprings 14, tend normally to force the rear end of the traction frame ina downward direction for a purpose which will be presently explained andthe degree of force exerted by these springs will be apparent from acomparison of Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, 4the springsv being showncompressed in Fig. 1 and expanded in Fig.- 2, inA

which latter instance the rear end of the traetion `frame is lowered toa considerable degree.

Before proceeding with a description 0f.

the means provided for controlling the traction frame or in other wordsfor adjusting the saine as regards it's elevation at its rear end, 4thetraction element which is mounted within the frame and which'is providedfor the purpose of propelling the vehicle, and.

the manner of mounting this element within the frame and of guiding thesame, will first Abe described.

Pii'otally suspended from each of the beams 5 at apoint adjacent therear end thereof is an arm 20 and these arms are providedeach at itslower end with a bearing 21 in which bearings the ends of a shaft 22 arejournaled, the said ends projecting through slots'23 formed in the beams12. Upon the shaft 22 there is fixed a traction Wheel 24 which may beeither in the form of theA transmit power to the shaft 22-for the,pur

pose-of driving the wheel 24.

It will be understood ofcourse that, as heretofore stated, the springs17 act normally toforce the rear end of-the traction frame downwardlyand that when so moved, the traction wheel 24 will be brought intoengagement with the surface of the road bed and will, upon rotation,propel the machine forwardly and these springs 17 are of such strengthas to sustain the weight of the rear portion of the car so that when thesprings are permitted to expand in a manner which will hereinafter beexplained, the traction vwheel 24 is broughtinto 'engagement with theroad bed surface and the rear wheels 11 of the automobile are raisedclear of the said road bed, the vehicle being in this manvner Supportedsolely by the front wheel 10 and the traction wheel 24. It will furtherbe understood that as the traction frame lowers, the arms 20 will beswungdownwardly tolower the shaft 22 andthe trac. tion wheel carriedthereby.

In order that the traction frame maybe normally held ininoperative-position or in other words in a position shown in- Fig. 1 ofthe'drawings there is provided a 'shaft 30 which is mounted upon theside beams 5 for rotation and carries, adjacent each end, a drum 31 witheach of. which is connected one end of a cable 32these cables being ledeach rearwardly and over pulleys 33 and connected at their'rear ends tothe vrear ends of the frame beams 12 of the traction frame.

` lith the shaft 30, there is assembled -a ratchet 34 and looselymounted upon the shaft is a lever 35 which cai'riesl a pawl 36cooperating with the ratchet 34, this pawl being adapted to be movedfromengagenient with the ratchet through the, medium of a grip handle'37mounted upon the lever 35. A foot operable dog 38 is mounted for a noveltraction means the like which is so constructed and arranged' transverseswinging movement upon' onel ofv the frame bars 5 and normally engageswith the ratchet 34 whereby to hold the said ratchet against rotation ina direction to unwind the cable 32. Itwill now be understood that byforward and backward oscil y lation of the lever 35, the shaft 30 may berotated in a direction to wind the cable 32 upon the yrespective drum 31and that upon being so wound, the rear end of the traction Eframe willbev elevated and the spring 17 will be conipressed'to about theposition.

shown inFig. 1 ofthe drawings. The

springs 17 nevertheless exert their'normal .l

'tendency to swing tlierearend of the traction frame downwardly and itwill hence be understood that should the lever- 35 andhand grip lever 37be grasped whereby to release or disenga-ge the dog 36 from the ratchet34,'and then should thel dog 38 .be moved by the footof theoperator .ofthe machine out of engagement with the ratchet 34, the traction framewill. be .forced downwardly by the springs 17 so'asto-bring'the'tractionwheel 24 into engagement with the surface of the road bed and'atthe same time ythe rear-end of the automobile will be elevated asregardsthe position of its rear wheels 11, the` front wheel'slO of the autovmobile, however, remaining in engagement with the road bed.

yFrom the foregoing description of the invention, it will be seen thatthere is provided for automobiles for rear thereof and which hasconnection at an other corner, as at 41, withthe-rear endof the tractionfraine. In this form of the-invention, there is provided a lever42 whichis identical in constructionand arrangement' with the lever 35 and isemployed inwind- 4ing up the cables 32 and thereby rocking1 'the frame40 whereby to raise orto permit 0W eri'ng of the traction frame of thevehicle. At that'corner of the frame 40 at which the pivot therefor islocated, there are rovided brake shoes 43 which contact wit brake bands44 upon the rear'axle of the vehicle when the frame is rocked so as toraise the be appreciated by those operating ai1- iis traction frame, it.being understood that these 'brake shoes arenot brouglit'into en agementwith the brake bands until the traction frame has been swung u wardly tosuchv degree as to bring the traction wheel therein entirely and thatthus by actuating the lever 42, the

' traction frame isnot only moved to inoperative position but the brakesare simultane ously applied.

What is claimed is 1. Ina vehicle, a frame including side members, atraction frame including side members, bowed springs connecting theforward ends'of the side members of the vehicle frame and tractionframe, bowed springs connected at their upper ends one to each of theside members of the lvehicle' frame and at their lower ends each totherear end of one of the side members of vthe traction frame, the saidlast mentioned springs tend' ing to lower said traction flme at its rearend'and thereby elevate the' rear of the vehicle frame and yieldablysupport the same, and means operableto elevate the said rear of thetraction-frame and hold the, same in elevated position.

2. Ina vehiclea frame ,including-.side members, a tractionv frameincludingV Side members, pring's connecting the forward ends of the.side members of the vehicle frame and traction frame, bowed springsconnecting at their upper ends one tov each of the side members of thevehicle frame and `attheir lower ends each to the rear end of one ofthe-side members of the traction frame, the said last mentioned springstending to lower said .traction frame at its rear end and therebyelevate the rear of the vehicle frame, and means operable'to elevate andholdin elevated position the said rear of the traction frame, said meanscomprising a Windlass, means for rotating the windlass, and a cableconnected to and adapted to be wound upon the windlass and connected tothe traction frame.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence-0f two witnesses.

ALONZO L. BLALOCK.

Witnesses:

B. F. Mosman, J. C. ARMSTRONG.

